Pets are part of the family in the majority of American households, where nearly three-quarters of families with school-age
children have at least one companion animal. These animals are often treated
like members of the family, but if the family is experiencing violence
they can become targets as well. Pets are often an important source of
comfort and stability to the victims of abuse, particularly children. But
abusive family members may threaten, injure, or kill pets, often as a way
of threatening or controlling others in the family.

A 1997 survey of 50 of the largest shelters for battered women in
the United States found that 85% of women and 63% of children entering
shelters discussed incidents of pet abuse in the family. Children who
have witnessed domestic violence or who have been the victims of physical
or sexual abuse may also become animal abusers themselves, imitating the
violence they have seen or experienced. A study conducted in 1995 noted
that 32% of the pet-owning victims of domestic abuse reported that one
or more of their children had hurt or killed a pet. Similarly, a 1983
study noted that children were reported to be abusive to animals in more
than a third of a sample of pet-owning families referred to New Jersey's
Division of Youth and Family Services for suspected child abuse.

It is essential for those who respond to family violence to be alert
to this connection. Professionals in domestic violence intervention,
law enforcement, child protection, human and veterinary medicine, education,
and animal care and control should get to know their counterparts in other
professions and work together to establish strategies for a coordinated
response to these needs.

In fact, professionals who help families in crisis are increasingly
recognizing the role that animals play in the dynamics of family violence.
Many law enforcement agencies are training officers who respond to domestic
violence calls to be alert for signs that a situation is life-threatening.
These include situations where the batterer has threatened suicide, is
displaying a firearm, or has hurt or killed a family pet.

In addition, local domestic violence shelters and animal protection
organizations have begun partnering to develop "safe havens" for the
pets of domestic violence victims because many victims delay leaving
the abusive batterer out of fear for their pets' safety. All too often,
batterers punish victims for leaving by abusing or killing the pets. Yet,
with the help of over 100 safe haven programs currently operating around
the United States, many domestic violence victims no longer have to choose
between their safety and their pets.

The First Strike® campaign
can help in the process of bringing professionals together
from a variety of agencies. We facilitate workshops and provide educational
materials specifically for various professionals working to prevent family
violence. For more information, please call our First Strike toll free
line at 1-888-213-0956

References

Ascione, F. R. 1995. Domestic violence and cruelty
to animals. Paper presented at the 4th International Conference on Family
Violence, Durham, NH, July 24, 1995.

Ascione, F. R. 1997. The abuse of animals and domestic
violence: a national survey of shelters for women who are battered. Society
and Animals, 5(3): 205–218.

DeViney, L., J. Dickert and R. Lockwood. 1983. The
care of pets within child abusing families. International Journal for
the Study of Animal Problems, 4(4): 321–336.

Animal Cruelty and Domestic Violence
Fact SheetReprinted with the kind permission
of the Humane Society of the
United States.
Why do batterers threaten, abuse, or kill animals?

To demonstrate and confirm power and control over the
family.

To isolate the victim and children.

To eliminate competition for attention.

To force the family to keep violence a secret.

To teach submission.

To retaliate for acts of independence and self-determination.

To perpetuate the context of terror.

To prevent the victim from leaving or coerce her/him to
return.

To punish the victim for leaving.

To degrade the victim through involvement in the abuse.

What can victims of domestic violence do to protect their pets?

Develop an emergency plan for sheltering the pets, themselves,
and their children (Review a copy of the First Strike® planning guide,
Making the Connection: Protecting Your Pet From Domestic Violence.)

Establish ownership of the pets (obtain an animal license,
proof of vaccinations or veterinary receipts in victim's name to help
prove they own the pets).

International
Tae Kwon Do UnionOn April 20th Kicks Martial Arts for Women is proud to welcome
Seventh Dan and President of the International TaeKwonDo Union, Master
Tom Merritt, Vice President and Fifth Dan, Master Lucy Hanson and ITU Executive
Secretary Mr. Mark Hanson for a very special Tae Kwon Do seminar and rank
testing. See our upcoming events for
details.

The International TaeKwonDo Union was founded by Master Tom Merritt
and Mr. Mark Hanson. Master Merritt holds the rank of 7th Dan in the
ITF style of TaeKwonDo. He began training in 1980 under Karen Thompson,
a 3rd Dan Black belt.

Master Merritt owns his own school, Precision TaeKwonDo in Fulton NY,
where he teaches 6 days a week to over 100 students. He has guided
over 40 students to the rank of Black Belt and various degrees. He is also
a student of Bujinkan Ninjutsu under Master Instructor Ryan Reed, 9th degree.
GrandMaster Hatsumi is the Soke of the Federation.

Master Merritt has placed first in many tournaments and has been titled
a Forms and Weapons Champion. His Favorite TaekwonDo pattern is Moon-Moo.

As the President of the World Wide Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Master
Merritt hosts an annual event Honoring Martial Artist who truly deserve
it.

Master Merritt has been in TaeKwonDo Times Magazine (featured on the cover of 9/03), and Inside Kung Fu, for his knowledge
of TaeKwonDo. He oversees 13 schools and 3 countries, over 1000 members
of the ITU, guiding them to their goals in their personal
life as well as the mMrartial arts.

His time and knowledge are in constant demand, he is considered the
"Authority" in his area on Traditional TaeKwonDo. Above all
of his accomplishments, the main personal traits that stand out about him
is his willingness to help others and his dedication to his art.

Upcoming
Events

The next rank test will be held on April 20th at 7:30 PM.
Good luck to all of those who are testing!

Every day there seems to be a new fad diet hitting the market. They
come and they go faster than the common cold. But what about the sweeping
popularity of "low carb diets." Is it fad or fact?

About two decades ago we were bombarded with messages that we should
limit our fat intake to lose weight. While research has shown that low-fat
diets do promote healthy cardio-vascular systems many people ended up
gaining weight simply by mistaking low-fat for low calorie. The same is
true when thinking about carbohydrate intake.

Our body's preferred source of energy are carbohydrates. Because of
this they must be a major component in a successful nutrition program.
Our muscle and other tissues rely heavily on a continued supply of carbohydrates
to satisfy immediate and long-term energy demands.

How do carbohydrates work?

Carbohydrates are broken down through the process of digestion into
glucose, which the body can then use. Simple carbohydrates, like sugar
found in fruits and vegetables as well as processed sugar, are absorbed
rapidly from the small intestine into the blood stream where they travel
to be used as a source of energy by cells. Complex carbohydrates have to
be broken apart by digestion in the small intestine, in order to be converted
into glucose. Because of this they take longer to digest provide a more
sustained release of energy.

The potential energy a food possesses is measured in calories. For
example, one gram of carbohydrates has 4 calories as does one gram of
protein. One gram of fat has nine calories. You can determine the number
of calories in any given food if you know how many carbohydrates, fats and
proteins are contained in it. This is also a mark of how much energy that
food stores. What is important is to understand that low carb does not mean
low calorie.

For example according to an article by Jennifer Warner of WebMD, "a blue cheese-topped steak, one
of the offerings on T.G.I. Friday's Atkins-Approved
menu, is still going to pack more fat and calories than a grilled chicken
sandwich from the regular menu. " These facts need to be considered when
deciding on any kind of weight loss or nutritional program. "The rising
popularity of low-carb products has manufacturers scrambling to meet the
demand. In fact, more than 400 businesses recently gathered for the nation's
first Low-Carb Summit in Denver to discuss ways to capitalize on the low-carb
craze. But nutritionists say the marketing of low-carb products is way
ahead of the science, and it's giving carbohydrates a bad reputation that
they don't deserve. "

First of all low-carb diets are also low-calorie diets.
Most fall in the range 1200-1500 calories per day. This is 800-500
less than the average American eats. Add this to the fact most people
will also start exercising when they start a diet and you have a classic
scenario for weight loss -- more calories burned than consumed.

Second, low-carb diets produce water weight reduction. Body
builders have been doing this for years. Because water is a critical by-product
of carbohydrate breakdown (hence the name carbo-hydrate...those little
hydrogen particles break off with oxygen and form water molecules) when
carbohydrate intake decreases water production also decreases.

Finally there is the two week "hook" period of absolutely no carbs
(except in certain "approved veggies and fruits".) This results in very
quick weight loss, which sells the program and gets you to buy all the
supplements and additional products.

The Skinny..

The reality of low-carb diets is that they act in the same way as any
other fad diet. Studies routinely show that 70-80% of the weight loss in
the first month of any diet is water. You only begin to truly lose fat only
AFTER you’ve been on a diet 4-8 weeks. Ironically in the low-carb plans,
by this time “good” carbs are allowed back into the diet. The maintenance
programs at the end of these diets allow for complex carbs and, while still
too high in protein, aren't entirely unhealthy.

The FDA reports that to date there
is no legal definition of what "low-carb" means. Therefore, any food or
beverage product that says "low-carb" on the label is technically breaking
the law. But since there are no protocols in place any definition
of low, reduced or net carb content can be added to food packaging without
reprisal. In other words manufacturers are feeding us information that is
meaningless and misleading.

Many have reported successful short term weight loss using low-carb
diets. However there is no evidence supporting long term safety or effectiveness
of these diets. In contrast there is a great deal of evidence indicating
a correlation between diets high in saturated fats and heart disease.
Well-rounded diets that include lean meat, low-fat dairy products and plenty
of fruits and vegetables have been shown to lower blood pressure and the
risk of heart disease.

The bottom line is that the priceof losing weight on a low-carb
diet may be your health. Experts agree that the issue isn't low-carb
Or low fat, it's whether foods are both low-carb and low-fat. Be aware that
foods marketed as low-carb may often contain high levels of saturated fat
and calories. Arm yourself with good information. Rad the label when comparing
low-carb vs. regular foods. Be careful not to fall into the trap of believing
that low-carb products which are also high in saturated fat are healthy.
Low-carb or not, avoiding foods high in saturated fats and high in simple
carbohydrates is always the healthy choice. But avoiding foods high
in monosaturated fatty acids or complex carbohydrates isn't a healthy choice.

The word "diet" has come to be associated almost exclusively with weight
loss. But diet simply refers to what we eat. A well-balanced, low calorie
diet--which includes complex carbohydrates, non-saturated fats and protein--along
with exercise, will not only result in weight loss but a healthy body as
well.

continued from previous
column....

Why should we recognize animal abuse as a form of battering?

Animal abuse exposes the deliberateness of battering rather
than loss of control.

Animal abuse and child abuse are closely related.

Animal abuse is often a tool used by batterers to emotionally
control or coerce victims.

Threatening, injuring, or killing animals can indicate
the potential for increased violence or lethality.

Victims may postpone leaving out of fear for their pets'
safety.

Identifying animal abusers can help identify other victims
of violence within the family.

What are suggested intake questions regarding pets
that should be asked by a domestic violence shelter?

Do you now have a pet? If yes, how many and what kinds?

Have you had a pet in the past 12 months? If yes, what
kinds?

Has your partner ever hurt or killed a family pet? If yes,
describe.

Has your partner ever threatened to hurt or kill a family
pet? If yes, describe.

Have you ever hurt or killed a family pet? If yes, describe.

Have any of your children ever hurt or killed a family
pet? If yes, describe.

Was the animal considered the child's, yours, your partner's
or the family's pet?

Did your concern for a pet's welfare keep you from coming
to a shelter sooner than now? If yes, explain.

Did you leave the abusive partner because of the abuse
of a pet? If yes, describe.

What can advocates do to raise awareness about the connection
between animal cruelty and domestic violence in their communities?